Customers don’t think channels, they think brand

Customers don’t see the different channels as individual segments of a brand. Hence, even though there may be multiple touch points, it is important to deliver a consistence experience that is in line with the brand value.

In my previous post – Design for your-customers, not for trends, I mentioned that while the website design we tested provided a richer experience, it was not necessarily what customers expected or wanted from the brand. Playing in a niche market, customers directly compared the online brand experience to the brick and mortar store. The perception was that the rich experience meant increase in cost of products.

Customer feedback implied that there was a strong disconnect between the online website and brick-and-mortar stores.

Again, to be clear, this does not mean don’t design a better experience. What it means is that user experience must add or create real value for the customer without affecting the brand image adversely. Sometimes this can be challenging.

Customers don’t interact with a product, they interact with the one brand and expect the same experience at every touch point. Whether it is researching products online, buying in store or calling customer support.

Customers don’t see these various channels as segmented. Hence, even though there may be multiple touch points, it is important to deliver a consistence experience that is in line with the brand value.

My take on this, customers don’t think in terms of channels, they think brand and the experience the brand provides at every interaction.